Cockatiels are popular companion birds for all kinds of great reasons. These small parrot family members are most closely related to their older, larger, louder cousins, the Cockatoos.
But unlike Cockatoos, cockatiels can easily be housed in small spaces such as apartments or condos. While not entirely, cockatiels are noticeably softer than other companion parrot species.
If you are thinking about owning a cockatiel, it is important to know up front that these small parrots represent a lifetime commitment. They are long-lived and bond closely with their owners.
You will want to carefully read through all of the information in this comprehensive cockatiel article to learn everything about the breed!
Is the Cockatiel the Right Pet Bird for You
Cockatiels are second only to the budgerigar as the world’s most popular companion bird. Cockatiels are known to be friendly and able to bond with several people simultaneously.
Cockatiels can be noisy, however. And because cockatiels can imprint on humans, they can be needy pets. The cockatiel may not be the right pet bird for every family.
Learn About Cockatiels As Pets
This short and sweet YouTube video offers 25 critical facts about cockatiels as pets.
Learning about the cockatiel’s size, weight, lifespan, intelligence, personality, and care needs can help you find the best match between what you want in a pet bird and what you have to offer your parrot pet.
About Cockatiels in the Wild
The best place to start learning about cockatiels is to study the behavior of cockatiels in the wild.
Cockatiels are native to Australia. They travel in small family groups and larger seasonal flocks. Sometimes a flock of cockatiels can be made up of hundreds of birds!
This is very important to know because it tells you a lot about the socialization needs and behaviors of the cockatiel as a companion bird.
Cockatiels in the wild do not spend any time alone. They are always with others of their species. Many first-time cockatiel owners are surprised by their bird’s constant calling and chirping. This is very typical behavior for cockatiels!
In most cases, a pet cockatiel can bond with its humans and the whole family. Human companionship can be a workable substitute for the constant companionship of other cockatiels.
But if you are thinking about choosing a cockatiel companion and you anticipate being away from the house for hours daily, your bird will get very lonely. Consider getting a second bird as a companion or choosing a different breed of pet.
Will Cockatiels Get Along With Each Other
While it is a great idea to get a second cockatiel if you think your bird will be home alone for hours each day, if you do decide to bring home two cockatiels instead of one, you need to plan.
Not all cockatiel color mutations (learn more about this in a later section here) are easy to tell apart regarding gender (this is called gender dysmorphic).
This means that even in adulthood, it can be very challenging to figure out if your new cockatiel is a boy bird or a girl bird!
In addition, as Beauty of Birds explains, it is impossible to determine a hatchling or juvenile cockatiel’s gender from looks alone.
This is important because cockatiels reach sexual maturity relatively early in their long lifespan. And if you bring home a different-gender pair, you can expect to be breeding baby cockatiels whether you planned on it.
It is also essential to know that not all cockatiels will automatically get along with each other. Parrots are generally intelligent and sensitive birds and may fight or simply not bond if the chemistry is incorrect.
You will want to pick a pair of cockatiels that demonstrates friendliness towards each other outside the cage.
Finally, if you plan to house your two new cockatiels together in one cage, you must verify in advance that the two birds can live peacefully together in a single cell.
Failure to tend to these necessary planning steps can result in the need to re-home one of your new cockatiels, which is emotionally wrenching for both owner and bird.
How to Tell Male Vs. Female Cockatiel
Cockatiel Cottage offers essential tips to determine if the cockatiel you are interested in is a male cockatiel vs. a female cockatiel.
Cockatiel DNA testing
The most accurate method to determine if your bird is a boy or a girl is to do a DNA test. This can be done using a blood sample or feathers plucked from the chest area.
Tests are inexpensive and can be ordered online or through your avian veterinarian. It is best to have your veterinarian obtain the necessary samples for your bird’s comfort and safety.
Veterinary exam
An experienced avian veterinarian can sometimes palpate your cockatiel’s abdomen and vent area to guesstimate your bird’s gender.
This is not the most accurate method if you have more than one bird and don’t want to breed cockatiels!
Cockatiel behavior
Another non-visual method to see whether your cockatiel is a boy or a girl is to watch its behavior. Again, this is not always accurate. However, some clues may be helpful.
Male cockatiels generally tend to be more vocal, more outgoing, more apt to be attracted to shiny objects like mirrors and bells, and more likely to whistle and even talk.
Males have been reported to wolf whistle, form their wings into a heart shape, and rub their vents against perches or other surfaces when they are ready to mate.
Some owners report that female cockatiels can be quieter and less outgoing. Female cockatiels are more apt to dip their bodies down low and raise their tail region to indicate a readiness to mate.
What Colors Do Cockatiels Come In
You just learned more about where and how cockatiels live in a wild setting. Now let’s look at their colors in the wild and captivity.
According to Animalia, all wild cockatiels look very much the same.
Nearly all wild cockatiels have the same basic coloration as follows:
- Dark grey on the body and back, tail, and inner wings.
- White on the outer wings.
- Yellow on the face.
- Bright orange circles on the cheeks.
The one difference is that wild cockatiel adult female birds also have grey shading on the cheeks. The wild adult male cockatiel will have pure yellow cheeks.
However, cockatiels bred for pet life can have an astonishing array of colors and patterns.
Except for the coloration of wild cockatiels, which breeders call “normal grey” or just “normal,” these human-created colors and patterns are called cockatiel mutations.
Here, the word mutation doesn’t mean a genetic flaw or defect. It simply means a change to a gene that affects how color pigment is enhanced or inhibited in the cockatiel.
There can be some disagreement in the worldwide community of cockatiel breeders about exactly how many human-made color mutations exist.
Cockatiel color mutations and breeding for each can get complicated quickly. This is a quick look at the fundamental differences between the usual grey of the wild cockatiel and the best-known color mutations developed by cockatiel breeders.
Whiteface
According to the AFA Watchbird Journal, whiteface is a rare color mutation in cockatiels.
Cinnamon
The cinnamon cockatiel mutation looks like a lighter version of the typical grey coloration with more of a brown/slate tinge to the grey feathers.
Fallow
The fallow cockatiel mutation looks like a lighter normal grey cockatiel with a more yellow/brown cast to the grey feathers.
Albino
KM Breeding points out that the albino cockatiel is not a true albino. Instead, this is a sub-mutation of the whiteface lutino.
Lutino
The lutino mutation typically feathers a white body with yellow cheek and head feathers, although there can be quite a bit of color and shade variation. Lutino cockatiels also have red eyes, but not due to albinism.
Silver
Silver cockatiels can happen in two different ways, genetically speaking. The birds have a much lighter body and wing feathers that look silvery-white rather than the darker standard grey.
Emerald
Emerald cockatiels are rare and feature grey feathers with a yellow cast that makes them appear very light green.
Pearl
Pearl is a color pattern that is often described as speckled.
Pied
Pied is another color pattern that causes white and yellow patches to appear randomly on the bird’s body and wings. No two pied cockatiels will ever look exactly alike!
Are Cockatiels Friendly Birds
Cockatiels bred by reputable and experienced cockatiel breeders who know how to feed, care for, and train hatchling birds are typically friendly and loving.
However, wild-caught cockatiels, aviary cockatiels used for breeding purposes, cockatiels that have been poorly bred or neglected, and cockatiels that have not been hand-tamed may be skittish, standoffish or even aggressive due to illness or fear.
This is quite normal and something to watch for when choosing your cockatiel!
It is sometimes possible to tame and calm a cockatiel that has not experienced bonded life with humans.
But if this will be your first pet cockatiel, you are better off choosing a hand-tame breeder-born cockatiel that is ready to socialize and bond with you.
Cockatiel Size and Weight
According to Windy City Parrot, adult cockatiels typically weigh anywhere from 78 grams to 125 grams.
For comparison purposes, the regular-size iPhone weighs about 228 grams. So one adult cockatiel will weigh almost half of that at the very most.
However, cockatiels are long birds and often look larger than they are.
Northern Parrots give the average length of a fully feathered adult cockatiel around 12 and a half inches – so just over a foot long from the top of the head to the end of the tail.
Before you pick out the cage, your cockatiel will be living in, this is important.
Cockatiel Cage and Housing Needs
As Avian Avenue Parrot Forum explains, an adult cockatiel has an average wingspan of about 19 and a half inches, or just over a foot and a half from one wingtip to the other.
Experienced cockatiel keepers state that any cage you select for your new cockatiel to live in should have a width of at least one and a half times the full wingspan of a fully flighted (not clipped) adult cockatiel.
Anything smaller than this would be confined to your bird and possibly dangerous if your cockatiel were to try to flap its wings or get some exercise in the cage.
And this a minimum to go by, not the ideal – whenever possible, more space is always better.
Are Cockatiels Noisy Birds
As mentioned in an earlier section, cockatiels are a flocking parrot species.
So while cockatiels may not have the loudest call of all parrots (this honor goes to the cockatoo, according to Avian Avenue), they are persistent noise-makers.
If you live in a space with near neighbors or shared walls or have a personality that loves quiet, the cockatiel may not be the best pet choice for you.
Do Cockatiels Have a Lot of Health Problems
Cockatiels are known to be generally healthy and relatively long-lived for their size.
But this only applies to cockatiels that have been well-bred by reputable breeders and have received appropriate avian preventative veterinary care, a healthy diet, exercise, and enriching daily life.
As VCA Animal Hospital points out, cockatiels can have a variety of health issues, including but not limited to these:
- Internal parasites.
- Respiratory disease.
- Egg binding (in adult female cockatiels).
- Other reproductive disorders (in adult female cockatiels).
- Fatty liver disease.
- Yeast infection (gastrointestinal).
- Tumors and cancer.
Preventative avian veterinary care can help identify these issues early before they become severe or life-threatening.
How Long Can a Cockatiel Live
Singing Wings Aviary explains that cockatiel life expectancy varies between wild and pet cockatiels.
Wild cockatiels typically live 10 to 14 years. But pet cockatiels can easily live into the 25 and even 30-year range. This is why we stated in the introduction to this article that choosing a cockatiel can truly represent a lifetime commitment!
This is especially important to consider if you choose a cockatiel for a child who may get older, lose interest in their bird or leave for college.
Rehoming one of these sensitive banded birds can cause extreme emotional distress to the cockatiel. Still, you can avoid inflicting this on your bird by choosing a pet with longevity appropriate to your lifestyle.
Is a Cockatiel Male or Female a Better Pet Choice
Male and female cockatiels can make loving, friendly, expressive pets. While male cockatiels do tend to be more vocal and can be louder than females, both make wonderful avian companions.
So it often boils down to personal preference when choosing between a male and a female cockatiel.
Cockatiel Food and Treats
Cockatiels should not be given a seed-based diet. Exclusive seed diets can lead to obesity and fatty liver disease.
Cockatiels in the wild eat a varied seasonal diet, including grasses, seeds, nuts, fruits, insects, and even produce in a farmer’s field or backyard garden.
In captivity, providing a pelleted diet with regular fresh organic produce, beans, nuts, greens, and fruits will help your pet bird stay healthy and happy.
Cockatiel Wing Clipping
Cockatiel wing clipping is volatile in cockatiel breeders, owners, and keepers.
The choice to clip a cockatiel’s wings or not should be based on the bird’s safety inside the household as well as the chances of your cockatiel escaping to the outdoors.
Flight harness training can eliminate the need to clip your bird’s wings.
How Much Training Does a Cockatiel Need
Cockatiels tend to be easy to train using a clicker and positive rewards. They can learn to talk or whistle by mimicking you or a recording they hear repeatedly.
Cockatiels can also learn how to do tricks.
Can a Cockatiel Learn to Talk
While cockatiels are not the talkers of the parrot world, some cockatiels do learn to talk.
This information lets you decide if a cockatiel is your perfect avian pet!
